Give Pizza A Caesar Salad Twist With Our Zesty Recipe
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How can you make Caesar salad even more delicious? By making Caesar salad pizza, of course. Caesar salad pizza mixes the salad we love with the warm, crispy crust and melted cheese of pizza, making for a sort of fusion dish that just makes sense.
Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for Caesar salad pizza that deconstructs the iconic salad and turns it into pizza form. Instead of croutons topping the pizza, the crust is brushed with olive oil and topped with fresh garlic, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan. Torn mozzarella is also added before baking to make the result more pizza-like. Be prepared, because the flavored crust smells delicious when it comes out of the oven. The salad dressing is similar to a classic Caesar dressing but we've left the egg out for safety. The salad itself is a little less heavily dressed than a standalone salad would be since it's placed on top of a rich, cheesy crust.
Of course, Caesar salad isn't complete without anchovies, and we've taken them out of the dressing and placed them on top of the finished pizza, along with shaved Parmesan. We recommend enjoying this pizza fresh out of the oven. You can store leftovers in the refrigerator if you have them, but the unique salad topping may cause the crust to absorb excess moisture as it sits. If you're looking for a unique meal idea, reach for this recipe the next time you'd like to enjoy two of your favorites at once.
Gather your Caesar salad pizza ingredients
For the Caesar dressing, you will need olive oil, mayonnaise, grated Parmesan, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Grab a premade pizza dough for the crust, along with olive oil, garlic, salt, black pepper, mozzarella, and grated Parmesan to top it. The finished pizza toppings you'll need are chopped Romaine, anchovy fillets, and shaved Parmesan.
Step 1: Make the Caesar dressing
Place all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Step 2: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 450 F.
Step 3: Shape the pizza dough
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and gently press it with your fingertips, working outwards from the center and flipping halfway, to gradually flatten it into a disc with a 12-inch diameter.
Step 4: Place the dough in a pan
Grease a circular baking pan with a bit of olive oil and place the dough in the pan.
Step 5: Brush dough with olive oil and add garlic, salt, and pepper
Brush the dough with olive oil and distribute the minced garlic, salt, and black pepper on top.
Step 6: Add Parmesan and mozzarella
Sprinkle the grated Parmesan across the surface of the pizza, then distribute the mozzarella evenly on the dough.
Step 7: Bake the crust
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is golden brown. Set pizza aside to cool slightly.
Step 8: Make the Caesar salad
Meanwhile, place the chopped romaine in a mixing bowl and toss it with the dressing.
Step 9: Top the pizza with salad
Top the pizza with the salad.
Step 10: Garnish and serve the Caesar salad pizza
Garnish the pizza with anchovy fillets and shaved Parmesan and serve immediately.
What to serve with Caesar salad pizza
Caesar Salad Pizza Recipe
Combine two dinnertime favorites into one with this zesty and savory Caesar salad pizza recipe.
Ingredients
- For the dressing
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
- 4 teaspoons grated Parmesan
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ small clove garlic, crushed
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- For the pizza
- 1 (15-ounce) premade pizza dough, room temperature
- Olive oil, to taste, for greasing the pan and brushing the dough
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 6 ounces mozzarella, torn into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- For the toppings
- 2 cups chopped romaine, washed and dried well
- 5 anchovy fillets, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan
Directions
- Place all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 450 F.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and gently press it with your fingertips, working outwards from the center and flipping halfway, to gradually flatten it into a disc with a 12-inch diameter.
- Grease a circular baking pan with a bit of olive oil and place the dough in the pan.
- Brush the dough with olive oil and distribute the minced garlic, salt, and black pepper on top.
- Sprinkle the grated Parmesan across the surface of the pizza, then distribute the mozzarella evenly on the dough.
- Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is golden brown. Set pizza aside to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, place the chopped romaine in a mixing bowl and toss it with the dressing.
- Top the pizza with the salad.
- Garnish the pizza with anchovy fillets and shaved Parmesan and serve immediately.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 508 |
| Total Fat | 20.1 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9.0 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 47.2 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 54.6 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.0 g |
| Total Sugars | 5.4 g |
| Sodium | 1,224.6 mg |
| Protein | 25.9 g |
How can I prep frozen pizza dough?
Using frozen pizza dough is a convenient way to make pizza at home. Whether you purchase store-bought frozen dough or make your own, having this essential ingredient in the freezer makes the pizza-making process that much easier. You'll need to thaw the dough before use, of course, as frozen dough can't be rolled out. The best way to thaw frozen pizza dough is by letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight. It will ready to roll out the next day. Thawed dough, whether homemade or store-bought, can generally be used for 3-4 days after thawing, as long as it's kept refrigerated and wrapped. Check the package directions of the brand you buy to be sure (if it's not a homemade version). The dough may become stickier and will need to be peeled off the wrapping the longer you wait.
If you're pressed for time, you can use a quicker method: Place the wrapped dough ball in a mixing bowl full of cold water. It should defrost in about 1 hour. Replace the water a couple times if it gets too cold. Make sure to bring the dough up to room temperature before you roll it out. After defrosting, just let it sit out on the counter for about 30 minutes. We don't recommend defrosting dough in the microwave. While less waiting time may seem attractive, it's too easy to start cooking the outside of the dough while the inside stays frozen.
What are other variations of Caesar salad pizza?
It's easy to customize Caesar salad pizza to take advantage of unique flavor variations. The first way to mix it up is to think about the salad itself. Instead of a classic Caesar, consider adding special ingredients or following a flavor theme. For example, mixing shredded cabbage, kale, or Brussels sprouts is a good way to add the health benefits of cruciferous vegetables to your meal. You could top the pizza with croutons if you want extra crunch (or use roasted chickpeas as a crouton alternative), or sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs flavored with garlic and grated cheese on top for a similar taste. You can leave the seasoning off of the crust if you do this, or leave it on for double the flavor.
If you're not a fan of the whole anchovies we've used to top the pizza, you can add chicken, shrimp, tofu, or quartered hard boiled eggs. Other topping ideas include halved cherry tomatoes for color and moisture or red pepper flakes for a touch of heat.
For a richer dressing, add the egg we've chosen to leave out, or reduce the amount of oil and mayonnaise for a version lighter on fat. As far as the crust, you may enjoy subbing traditional pizza crust with an alternative like a cauliflower crust, naan, or flat bread.